As the Toyota RAV4 quietly sped along the silent streets, in the backseat, Izar slumped against the upholstery, his chest rising and falling with heavy sighs of relief. His trembling hands wiped at the drying tears on his cheeks, leaving faint streaks of dirt on them. He stared out the window, his mind far from focused on the peaceful ride.

The images from a few hours earlier couldn’t stop flashing through his mind.

Bricky and Santos’ frightened expressions before they were tasered by the criminal officers.

The effortlessness with which those shady officers picked up their unconscious bodies and made away with the product.

Those terrifying warnings from Leo and Tigris…

… if you fuck this up… there’s no place in this city you’ll hide from me. And when I find you, it will NOT be pretty…

… Get it right, or you won’t even have a fucking body to be buried when I’m done with you…

The memories sent shivers down his spine.

There was no question about it, he was in grave danger. Once 7Katz found him, that was the end of his life. He had no idea what was happening with Bricky and Santos, but if they were found as well, it was curtains for them.

He trembled as thoughts of Tigris’ terrifying physique popped into his mind. Those vein-streaked bursting muscles… that unfriendly snarl and glare… those piercing eyes that knew nothing of the concept called mercy…

He shook his head, forcing the thoughts away. Forget that for now, he exhorted himself. I’m out of sight for now, that’s what matters. I’m with this… this churchy couple, so that’s a reliever.

He leaned back and sighed once again.

But chale, that was a smart move, with the story thing, he thought, a grim smile tugging at his lips. That story about the abusive stepfather – it was a product of pure genius, born from the chaos of running for his life. Because there was no way he could’ve told them the truth.

A drug cartel? A botched delivery? A target on his back for failure? Nobody, not even these kind-hearted strangers, would’ve let him within ten feet of their car if they knew. And for good reason, as well. Even if they did let him in, the likeliest place they’d take him to was the police station.

He glanced at the front seats, where Hector’s shoulders filled the driver’s side and Lavender’s gentle hum of a hymn floated back to him.

He shook his head. He wasn’t a religious guy, and never had been; the concept of an almighty and perfect god was nonsense to him. But as he sat there, he couldn’t help but feel a strange gratitude. Of all the cars he could’ve stumbled in front of, it was this couple who had taken him in.

No matter how he felt about their belief system, he had to be grateful to them.

He leaned against the seat once more, feeling the tension in his chest ease just a fraction.

He muttered to himself, “Chale, thank fu- oh, sorry, thank goodness they found me.”

***

It was about 5:30 am when the gate opened and the car rolled to a stop in front of a cozy bungalow.

Its white walls glowed faintly under the soft light of dawn. A neatly trimmed lawn stretched out front, and a small, separate building, the boy’s quarters, sat tucked to the side, its modest frame dwarfed by the main house.

As Hector cut the engine and Lavender stretched, her usual warmth subdued by fatigue, Izar clutched his knees while his eyes scanned the unfamiliar surroundings.

This place no be bad oo, chale…

Hector stepped out first, moving with purpose as he opened the back door. “Come on, son,” he called, his voice kind but firm as always. “Let’s get you settled.”

Izar nodded, stepped out and followed the big man. Lavender gave him a reassuring smile before heading toward the main house. “I’ll whip up some breakfast for you,” she called softly. “You must be starving.”

The two men entered the boy’s quarters: a simple one-room space with a single bed, a small table, and a bathroom tucked in the corner. Hector flicked on the light, revealing a modest but welcoming setup. “So, this is yours for now,” he said, gesturing around. “You can stay here and take some time to gather yourself. We’ll talk more later, alright?”

Izar nodded, his voice barely above a whisper. “Thank you. Really.”

Hector gave him a steady look, then clapped a hand gently on his shoulder. “Get some rest. You’re safe here, Mister… what’s your name again?”

“Izar, Mr. Adomako.”

“Alright, alright. Izar. Get some rest. You’re safe here.”

With that, he turned and left, closing the door behind him.

Alone, Izar sank onto the bed, exhaling sharply while rubbing his face. While he was grateful for this sanctuary, he knew he could not relax totally. It would be pure folly to make this his only hiding place; he had to be on the move.

One week, he told himself, nodding as he reclined on the bed. Lay low, let the heat die down, then get out. I’ll probably get a bus ticket and find my way to Nigeria or something…

***

The air in Leo’s office was thick with tension.

The 7Katz head paced behind his polished desk, his tailored suit creased from restless movement and his brown eyes blazing. Tigris stood near the lion’s head carving on the wall, his muscular arms crossed, veins bulging as he clenched his fists. The phone call from their clients had just ended, and as expected, they were extremely disappointed, issuing barely veiled threats over the undelivered stash. The mission had failed, and the boys – Izar, Bricky, and Santos – were nowhere to be found.

“Bastards! Sneaky little shits!” Leo snarled, slamming his hand on the desk. “I gave them one job. One fucking job! No stops, no screw-ups! Yet they decided to vanish with the two kilos?”

Tigris’s growl was low and dangerous. “I warned them, Leo. I said no second chances. To think they defied me!” His scarred knuckles whitened as he cracked them, his dark eyes narrowing. “When I get my hands on them… oh, they’ll wish they’d never joined 7Katz in the first place.”

A sharp knock at the door cut through their rage.

“What?” Leo snapped.

The heavy door creaked open, and a servant stepped in, his head bowed as he trembled slightly.

“Sir… P-P-Panthera’s found something. He says it’s about the boys. He’s waiting in his lair.”

Leo and Tigris exchanged a glance, their anger momentarily redirected. Without a word, Leo straightened his jacket, and Tigris unfolded his arms as they moved to follow the servant.

They moved through the warehouse’s labyrinthine corridors, past flickering lights and guarded doors, until they reached a reinforced steel door marked with a sleek panther emblem. The servant knocked once, and it slid open.

Panthera’s technology lair was a stark contrast to Leo’s opulent office. Monitors lined the walls, casting a blue glow over banks of servers humming with activity. Wires snaked across the floor, and a faint smell of ozone hung in the air.

Panthera, a lean and sharp-eyed man, named for the panther’s stealth, sat at a central console, his fingers dancing over a keyboard. His black turtleneck and wire-rimmed glasses gave him the look of a predator in a digital jungle.

“Leo, Tigris,” Panthera said without looking up, his voice calm but edged with urgency. “You’re gonna want to see this.”

He tapped a key, and a monitor flickered to life, displaying a GPS map with a blinking dot at a fuel station.

“My men attached a tracker to the boys’ car before they left. Standard precaution, like you know. It’s been at this petrol station for over fourteen hours now. I pulled the audio and GPS logs.”

Leo’s jaw tightened. “What did you find?”

Panthera leaned back, his eyes glinting. “Turns out they stopped there because… you won’t believe this… Izar needed to take a piss. Audio caught him begging Bricky and Santos to pull over. They argued, but they caved. That’s when it went south.”

He clicked another key, and grainy footage from a nearby security camera played. It showed their sedan parked at the fuel station, with a police car pulling up behind it. They watched in silence and disbelief as two officers stepped out, one tasering Santos, the other taking down Bricky, before grabbing the duffel bag from the trunk and speeding off with the unconscious boys.

Tigris slammed a fist into the wall once it was over. “What the fuck! Police? They got nabbed by the police?”

“Nope. Not the ones you think they are,” Panthera shook his head, pulling up another screen with two personnel files. “I ran the cruiser’s registration. These aren’t your average pigs. These fools are secret agents working for Viper Squad. You remember them, the former distributors we cut off after those idiots took over and we had that little disagreement over territory last year. They’ve been itching for payback. And it looks like they had tabs on the boys and struck when they stopped.”

Leo’s face darkened, his voice a low hiss. “Unbelievable! Those braindead motherfuckers thought it wise to cross us? Oh, they will pay for this! And those boys… they stopped for a piss, lost the stash, and handed Viper Squad a win on a silver platter? Absolutely unforgivable!”

He turned to the servant hovering by the door. “Get Onca and Uncia. Now.”

The servant scurried off, and minutes later, two more 7Katz leaders entered the lair.

Onca, a skinny but quick young man, named for the jaguar’s agility, had a glint in his eye that promised violence. Uncia, broad-shouldered and silent, named for the snow leopard’s stealth, carried an air of cold precision.

Leo didn’t waste time. “Onca, Uncia, Viper Squad’s agents hit our boys at a fuel station, took the stash, and kidnapped them. Panthera’s got their location.” He pointed at the screen, then fixed his gaze on the duo. “Find those officers. Make them fucking bleed to death. Track down Viper Squad’s hideout and bring those idiot boys back here. They need to face their punishment for this unacceptable screw-up.”

Onca grinned, cracking his knuckles. “Consider it done, Leo.”

Uncia nodded once, his eyes unreadable. They turned and left, their footsteps echoing with a deadly purpose.

Leo turned back to the monitor, his fury barely contained.

“Izar’s fucking bladder just cost us more than he knows. When they’re back here, they’ll learn what happens when you fail 7Katz.”

Well, Izar definitely needs to make solid plans, because Leo and co are out for blood…